Framers And Roofers

Residential And Commercial Construction Death Claims

Among the various construction trades, some of the more injury-prone occupations include framers and roofers. The reason is simple; even a fall from a short distance can be deadly, but working one, two or three stories above the ground can significantly increase the odds of injury or death. This is why individuals who perform these kinds of jobs can sustain fatal injuries after even a simple slip-and-fall incident.

For any person who has ever been employed in commercial or residential construction, there should be no doubt that this field of work is physically demanding. Being outside in all kinds of weather while operating air- and electric-powered hand tools in sometimes very slippery conditions while located high above grade level can expose these workers to multiple hazards throughout the workday.

Every year, residential and commercial building sites all across the country are witness to tragic work-related accidents that take the lives of hundreds of construction workers, tradesmen, contract employees, and other building professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C., about 900 on-the-job deaths occur annually. Here in the Garden State, one in four work-related deaths occurs in the construction field.

Any death is tragic, but when a worker dies on the job, chances are a family who relied on that individual’s hard-earned income also suffers. In such cases, not only is there emotional pain, but the loss of income can also be devastating to the survivors, especially if the victim was the primary breadwinner. Even in situations where another spouse or parent holds a job, the stress of having the household income cut in by a significant amount can be a shock for everyone involved.

Fortunately, the law requires every employer (with almost no exceptions) to carry workers’ compensation insurance. When a person is killed while working on the job, death benefits are triggered, which provides some monetary relief to the family so that the survivors may continue to carry on without the anxiety of financial hardship.

Survival Claims And Workers’ Comp Attorneys

New Jersey Workers Compensation Lawyer of JFM Law has a legal team with decades of collective experience assisting families who have lost loved ones to fatal industrial accidents. Workplace accidents resulting in death are often so unexpected that the survivors can be caught off guard and, in some cases, unable to come to grips with the victim’s death, much less manage the workers’ comp claims process or deal with insurance companies that may decide to deny the claim altogether.

Our professional legal staff has the skills to handle death claims for families of deceased commercial and residential framers and roofers. We believe that a family should not have to suffer from financial worries on top of having to cope with the grief of losing a spouse, parent or grandparent. These fatal on-the-job incidents, which can happen anytime or anywhere, are made more dangerous for those working high off the ground. Some causes of fatal accidents involving roofing workers or framing carpenters include the following:

• Slip-and-fall accidents
• Weak or poorly constructed floor structure
• Collapsed scaffolding
• Unsecured roof decking or loose rafters
• Accidents involving ladders
• Power saw and nail gun-related mishaps
• Being knocked to the ground by cranes or other large equipment
• Electrocution accidents and lightning strikes

While workers in the construction trade may accept many of the intrinsic risks associated with their jobs, quite a few of the fatal and near fatal accidents that occur on a job site could possibly have been prevented through the observance of basic safety procedures and preventative measures. It is an accepted fact that construction companies, general contractors and their management and supervisory staff are responsible for enforcing and maintaining a certain level of safety at construction sites.

Every employer has an obligation to properly train his or her employees to use equipment safely and to perform their jobs with the best safety practices in mind. Similarly, companies that manufacture construction equipment and power tools are also obliged to include appropriate warnings and proper operating instructions so that workers will not be endangered while working in potentially hazardous situations.

Workers’ Compensation Death Benefit Claims

The experienced attorneys at New Jersey Workers Compensation Lawyer can help framers and roofers’ families navigate the survivor claims process. New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney, Daniel Santarsiero, Esq., has a vast amount of knowledge in this area and can provide helpful guidance to widows and dependent children so that they may recover death benefits due them under the laws of the state of New Jersey.

Where workers’ compensation insurance is involved, survivors are not permitted to sue the victim’s employer for recovery of other damages; however, if another individual or company was responsible for a fatal workplace accident, there may be grounds to sue that third party. If you have lost a loved one to a residential or commercial construction accident, we urge you to contact a qualified attorney to discuss your case.

For questions about workers’ comp death benefits, survivor claims, and third-party lawsuits, our legal team is ready and able to discuss your case. Please feel free to contact our offices at 866-916-3549 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Construction Injury Claims